Being the children of famous people can have its advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side is the automatic recognition that comes with sharing a well-known name. On the downside there's having to live up to whatever expectations the name signifies. On top of that there's also having to deal with those who will whisper about people only making it because of their relations. So, in the end, while having a famous name may get your foot in the door, you'll have to work almost twice as hard as the next person in order to gain the respect your efforts deserve.
Some artists may feel compelled to run as far away from their famous family name as possible to prove they can make it on their own, but it's really not necessary. If you have talent it will show through no matter who you are or who you perform with.
When Amy Nelson and Cathy Guthrie released their first disc as Folk Uke a few years ago they not only proved they could stand on their own two feet as songwriters and performers, they also made no secret of their family ties. Let's be real, daughters of Willie Nelson and Arlo Guthrie were never going to be able to hide from the world who they're related to anyway, so they wisely owned up to it. In fact, both dads appeared on the first record in support roles.
While that first CD was fun to listen to the duo relied more on their sense of humour and intelligence to impress listeners than on their musical abilities. There were only a couple of moments which hinted at the true nature of their talent. Songs like "Shit Makes the Flowers Grow" and "Motherfucker" seemed like deliberate attempts to distract listeners from the natural sweetness of their voices and how suited they were to an older style of country/folk songs. Now, with their second CD, Reincarnation, released on November 22 on their own Folk Uke label, the duo, as can be seen through their choice of material, have far more confidence in themselves and their abilities as vocalists.
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